Resetting signaling device.



C. W. STANCLIFFE.

RES ETTING SIGNALING DEVIC E.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I6. 1914.

1,147,053. Patented July 20, 1915.

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RESETTING SIGNALING DEVICE,

APPLICATION HLED APR. 16. I914. 1 1,147,053. Patented July 20, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SH EET 2.

W-Mgb-w ECIL WHEATLEY sTANCLIrrB, or VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CAIt' DA rrion ASSIGNOR or ONE-FOURTH To WILLIAM HENRY LECKIE AND own-FOURTH To ROBERT JAMES LECKIE, BOTH OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

BESETTING SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Z Patent.

PatentedJuly 2c, ieit.

Application filed April 16, 1914. Serial NO. 832,196.,

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, CECIL WHEATLEY STANCLIrrE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of Vancouver, in the Province ofBritish Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resetting Signaling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in re-sotting signaling devices, with more par ticular reference to devices used in alarm systems for transmitting signals, and the Object of my invention is to devise a simple and effective means for transmitting signals from one point to another and which is adapted to be re-s'et automatically after having transmitted its designed signal'instead of by hand, as is necessary with the clockwork and mechanical devices in use at the present time and which require tobe wound up by hand whenever re-setting is necessary, thereby insuring by its use greater simplicity both in the construction and in the operation of alarm systems than is possible at the present time.

A further object is to devise are-setting signaling device having the minimum of parts and without springs or mechanism, thus providing a device which requires the a minimum of personal attention, which is less expensive than the present forms of clockwork and mechanicaldevices, both as regards upkeep and cost of installation, and which is more positive and sure in action, since it has no springs or mechanism to get out of order.

A still further object is to devise a resetting signaling device which is adapted for use in the most exposed situations, and which is not affected by damp or adverse weather conditions, thereby providing a device of greater utility and one which can be used to greater advantage than the clockwork and mechanical-devices in present use, since these cannot-be used in damp or exposed situations on account of their liability to rust up or otherwise getout of order,

Iatt'ain these objects by the construction illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a front elevation of my device, in part section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my device, in part section. Fig. 3 is a detail vlew, in part section, showing the. construction of the plunger, Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the working of the device.

Similar figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views;

1 is a metal box in which are contained electrical terminals and which box incloses the upper end of the signaling finger and contact points, all as more fully hereinafter described.

2 is a suitable cover for the box 1. V

3 is a porcelain plate secured to the inside of the box 1.

4 is a finger of fiber or other non-conductmg material, which finger carries a number of metal rings 5, the number of rings being in accordance with the signal which the device is designed to transmit, as more fully hereinafter described.

The finger 4 is built up as shown in Fig:

3, that is, of fiber distance pieces 6 consti tuting the main finger 4E, and the metal rings 5, the thickness of the fiber distance pieces varying according to the designed space between the metal rings. The assembled finger a is secured on the upper end of the soft iron I I plunger 7 by means of a screw 8, as shown in Fig. 3, which plunger has secured on its lower end the piston 9, and extends down wardly through a solenoid 10 into a glass or porcelain cup 11 containing mercury or other liquid, all as shown in Figs. 1 and 3; This cup 11 is held in place against the lower end of the solenoid 10 by means of the outer cover 12 to form a clash pot for the plunger 7, the cover 12 being provided with a flange 13 on its upper end so that it may be carried by the box 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

14c and 15 are washers of fiber or other material disposed between the solenoid 10 and the cup 11 to form a joint therebetween when 3 the device is assembled.

16 is a soft iron armature carried byth flange 17 of the solenoid and having an annular opening 18 through'which the finger i'extends, this opening 18 being made less in diameter than the body of the plunger 7 so that the plunger will strike the armature 16 as shown in Fig. 3, when it reaches the limit of its upward travel when re-set'ting'.

19 is a bracket secured to the porcelain I plate 3, which bracket is provided with arms 20 extending outwardly on each side of the finger 4, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

21 are carbon contact points carried by the C and 25 are respectively connected to the wires 26 and 27 of one of the circuits hereinafter mentioned by means of the circuit terminals 28 and 29 and the connections 30 and 31.. shown dotted therebetween, all as shown in Fig. 1. i I 32 and 33 are the wires of another circuit, hereinafter mentioned, the end of 32 being connected to the screw 8, which forms a terminal therefor and makes a contact with the metal rings 5, while the end of 33 is connected to the terminal screw 34 which is connected by the connection 35 to the terminal screw 36 carried by the bracket 19.

Having indicated the principal parts of my invention I will now describe briefly the manner in which it operates.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 4, which illustrates diagrammatically in a simple form the working of my device and in which 26 and 27 are the wires of an electrical circuit connected to the solenoid 10 and 32 and 33 are the wires of another electricalcircuit in connection with the signaling finger 4. 37 is a battery supplying current to; the wires 26 and 27 38 is a battery supplying current to the wires 32 and 33. 39 is a detector adapted to make and break the circuit of which 26 and 27 are the wires. 40 is a tape machine disposed in the circuit of which 32 and 33 are the wires and adapted iron plunger 7 will be magnetically held in the upmost position against the armature 16, as shown in Fig. 3, and thus the finger 4 will be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the circuit is broken by the operation of the detector 39 when indicating the presence, say, of a fire in the room in which the detector is placed, the current will cease to flow through the solenoid 10 and the plunger 7 will immediately drop until the piston9 reaches the bottom of the cup 11, the mercury or other liquid preventing the plunger from dropping too rapidly and insuring an even rate of travel throughout its descent.

Again, it will be seen that the circuit of which 32 and 33 are the wires is normally broken between the contact points21 by the fiber distance pieces 6, but that the metal rings 5 are in electrical contact with the circuit'thr'ough the screw 8 to which the wire 32 is connected, therefore, as each ring passes the contact points 21 on the downward travel of the finger 4, the circuit will be completed through the contact points 21, the bracket 19 and the connection 35 to the wire 33, and thus a signal may be transmitted along the wires 32 and 33 to a given point as each of the rings 5 contacts with the contact points 21. For the purpose of illustration let it be supposed that it is required to have indication at a given point of the presenceof fire in a room numbered 432. The finger 4 of the signaling device would then be built up as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is, having a series of metal rings 5 arranged as shown, namely four metal rings, then three, then two, beginning from the bottom of the finger,-a suitable space being provided between each ring and between each series by means of the fiber distance pieces 6. Thus, on the circuit being broken by the detector in room 432, the finger 4' would drop and the contacting of the metal rings 5 with the points 21 would complete the signaling circuit first, four times, then three times, then twice, and these signals would be recorded on the tape machine 40 as either dots or dashes thus: from which it would atonce beseen on reading the tape and counting the dashes where the fire had started.

From the foregoing the manner in which the device is re-set automatically will at once beapparent, as it will be seen that when the detector 39 again closes the circuit, the current will at once energize the solenoid 10 and the armature 16 which will immediately draw the soft iron plunger 7 .up and raise the finger 4 to its normal position, where it i is held until-the circuit energizing the solenoid is again broken. 7

The suitability of my device for damp and exposed situations will also be evident, as, when the device is fully assembled, it may be completely incased. in waterproof or weather resisting material withoutimpairing its efficiency in the least, as so long as the circuit. wires are in connection with the terminals located within the box 1, the device will not be affected by adverse weather conditions.

It will be seen, therefore, that I have devised a signaling device which is positive and sure in action and which is adapted to re-set automatically after having transmitted its designed signal.

It will also be seen that I dispense with the use oftsprings and other mechanism in my device, which is therefore less expensive to install and maintain, requiring the minimum of personal attention, and which is capable of being adapted for use in damp situations and the most exposed places without its efiiciency being liable to be impaired by adverse weather conditions.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a re-setting signaling device, the combination with a solenoid and solenoid circuit, of an armature carried by the said solenoid on the upper end thereof and provided with a central annular opening, a plunger slidably engaged in the core of said solenoid, said plunger being adapted to be moved upwardly by the energizing of the solenoid and the armature and to fall by gravity when the solenoid circuit is broken, a non-conducting finger extending through the armature opening carried by the plunger and adapted to rise and fall with it, electrical contact members carried by said finger in connection with a normally broken electrical circuit, and means adapted to be contacted by the said contact members as the finger rises and falls so as to close the normally-broken circuit as each contact is made.

:2. A re-setting signaling device, comprising a solenoid, a soft iron plunger slidably engaged in the core of said solenoid, a piston on the lower end of the plunger, a non-conducting finger on the upper end of the plunger, a threaded member extending through the said finger into the said plunger to detachably connect same together, the head of said member forming a terminal, electrical conducting rings carried by the said finger and in contact with the said threaded member, an armature secured to the upper end of the solenoid and having an annular opening through which the said non-conducting finger extends, a dashpot surrounding the piston and filled with suitable fluid, a cover for the said solenoid and said dashpot, a

cover for the non-conducting finger and armature, a non-conducting plate in proximity to the said non-conducting finger, a

bracket secured to said plate and having arms provided with carbon contacts adapted to be contacted successively by the said electrical conducting rings, and terminals carried by the said plate whereby the said solenoid may be connected to a solenoid circuit and the non-conducting finger may be disposed in a signaling circuit.

3. In a re-setting signaling device, a plunger adapted to slidably engage the core of a solenoid, said plunger carrying on its upper end a finger provided with electrical contact members and an electrical terminal extending through the finger, said contact members being insulated from each other and in contact with said terminal, the lower end of said plunger being extended and provided with a piston.

l. In a re-setting signaling device, a plunger adapted to slidably engage the core of a solenoid, said plunger having its lower end extended and provided with a piston, and carrying a finger on its upper end, said finger consisting of a member the lower end of which is secured into the said plunger and having its upper end forming an electrical terminal, electrical conductingrings carried by said member and in contact therewith, each said ring representing one signal, and non-conducting distance pieces also carried by the said member, the said distance pieces determining the distance between the said rings and insulating them from each other.

In a re-setting signaling device, the combination with a solenoid and a solenoid circuit, of a plunger slidably engaged in the core of said solenoid adapted to be moved upwardly by the energizing of the solenoid and to fall by gravity when the solenoid circuit is broken, said plunger having its lower end extended and provided with a piston and carrying on its upper end a nonconducting finger provided with electrical contact members insulated from each other, an electrical terminal extending through the said finger, said terminal connecting the said contact members with a normally broken electrical circuit, and a terminal disposed in the path of the said finger and adapted to be contacted by each of the said contact members as the said plunger falls so as to close the normally broken circuit as each contact is made.

Dated at Vancouver, of March A. D. 1914.

CECIL WHEATLEY STANOLIFFE.

Witnesses:

JAMES TAYLOR, B. KERR HOULGATE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

